How to hire a sales/account representative

How to hire a sales/account representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales/account representative hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sales/account representative job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales/account representative
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales/account representative do?

Post a sales/account representative job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your sales/account representative job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a sales/account representative for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a sales/account representative to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a sales/account representative that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of sales/account representatives.

   Type of Sales/Account Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales/Account Representative	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$18-38
   Sales Representative And Account Manager	A sales representative/account manager is responsible for supervising client portfolio accounts and maintaining long-lasting relationships with business partners. Sales representatives/account managers meet with existing and potential clients to discuss new services offered by the company, as well as addressing their requests for review... Show more	$19-50
   Consultant And Sales Representative	A consultant and sales representative's role is to perform research and analysis to devise strategies for reaching sales targets and optimal services. Aside from providing consultations and business plans, they may also represent the company by reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence... Show more	$68-171

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • CRM
   • Sales Process
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Strategies
   • Sales Techniques
   • Business Development
   • Work Ethic
   • Indirect Sales
   • Sales Support
   • Account Management
   • Enterprise Resource Planning
   • Sales Revenue
   • Excellent Interpersonal

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
   • Assist external accounts in error resolution so that all EDI transactions process without manual intervention or delay.
   • Work with senior management to implement a sales program for new P3T software enhancement and participate in CRM application development team.
   • Collaborate with sales representatives to ensure new account set-up, establish specifications, and assist with EDI account maintenance and invoicing.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations and literature utilize and present in sales calls.
   • Core competencies: -Administrative/computer skills: maintain CRM systems to successfully identify potential customers.

   More sales/account representative duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sales/account representative job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A sales/account representative salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, sales/account representatives' average salary in hawaii is 51% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sales/account representatives earn 52% less than senior-level sales/account representatives.
   • Certifications. A sales/account representative with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a sales/account representative's salary.

   Average sales/account representative salary

   $56,954yearly

   $27.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales/account representative salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average sales/account representative salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$76,735	$37
   2	California	$76,195	$37
   3	Oregon	$71,132	$34
   4	Nevada	$63,440	$31
   5	Indiana	$62,683	$30
   6	North Carolina	$62,447	$30
   7	Connecticut	$62,053	$30
   8	New York	$61,427	$30
   9	Massachusetts	$59,464	$29
   10	Iowa	$58,817	$28
   11	Minnesota	$58,388	$28
   12	Maryland	$57,813	$28
   13	Texas	$57,705	$28
   14	Arizona	$56,732	$27
   15	Colorado	$56,258	$27
   16	Michigan	$56,252	$27
   17	Ohio	$55,033	$26
   18	Maine	$52,932	$25
   19	Utah	$52,641	$25
   20	Georgia	$51,576	$25

   Average sales/account representative salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Smartsheet	$110,393	$53.07	1
   2	Vista Equity Partners	$94,167	$45.27
   3	Fidelity National Financial	$89,217	$42.89	6
   4	Amazon	$87,298	$41.97	235
   5	Supermicro	$84,611	$40.68	8
   6	Intel	$81,987	$39.42	2
   7	New Relic	$81,819	$39.34	1
   8	Applied Materials	$81,650	$39.25
   9	Sony Electronics	$81,534	$39.20	1
   10	MarketAxess	$81,467	$39.17
   11	Uber Technologies	$78,328	$37.66	7
   12	Altice USA	$76,148	$36.61	45
   13	Lenovo	$73,897	$35.53	8
   14	Natera	$73,534	$35.35	12
   15	Crown Equipment	$72,596	$34.90	150
   16	SAS Institute	$72,564	$34.89	8
   17	Accenture	$70,354	$33.82	169
   18	Jackson Healthcare	$70,040	$33.67	3
   19	AMETEK	$68,464	$32.92	5
   20	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$68,269	$32.82	31

4. Writing a sales/account representative job description

   A good sales/account representative job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a sales/account representative job description:

   Sales/account representative job description example

   Manages relationships with current customers and referral sources. Prospects for additional revenue opportunities.
   *Salary is based on Experience* Plus Commission
   Job Responsibilities
   
   Contacts customers before and after service is performed to ensure satisfaction and develop additional prospects Prospects and develops new sales leads in assigned verticals Create, manage, and maintain key relationships with insurance agents, adjusters’ other key relationships Continually builds product knowledge and refines sales techniques for specific relationship types and verticals Prepares documents for job file reviews with current and prospective clients Documents and reports on key referral-source relationships weekly and monthly Participates in collections efforts with non-residential customers when necessary Resolves issues with customers Making sales calls and door to door sales- Commercial and residential Develop strategies for new and more effective sales, and closing of sales
   Job Requirements
   
   High school graduate or equivalent; college degree preferred 3-5 years of sales experience or prior sales training is highly desired, but not required Valid Driver's License and satisfactory driving record Good verbal and written and communication skills Good customer service skills Highly motivated, strong work ethic and enjoy the selling process Build rapport easily and establish trust, leading to lasting customer relationships Can effectively present information to customers one-on-one and in small groups Has a good aptitude for basic math-- necessary for doing calculations related to the sales process Local and regional travel may be required for trade shows, training, networking events and for selling services immediately after catastrophic events Some work required outside of traditional working hours to network and represent the company at business social events Skilled using social media and other web-based sales tools 1-2 years experience in the Disaster Restoration field; IICRC Certifications preferred but not required
   Physical Demands and Working Conditions
   
   The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   Incumbent must be prepared to:
   
   Move up to 20 pounds occasionally, by lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise repositioning objects. Sit for long periods of time while using office equipment such as computers, phones etc. Fingering and Repetitive motions; such as movement of wrists, hands and fingers while picking, pinching and typing during your normal working environment. Express or exchange ideas with others quickly, accurately, and receive and act on detailed information. Close visual acuity to perform detail-oriented activities at distances close to the eyes, such as preparing and analyzing data, viewing computer screen and expansive reading. Be exposed to various inside working conditions: The change of building environment such as with or without air conditioning and heating.
   
   Disclaimer
   
   The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by associates assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. The Company reserves the right to modify this description in the future, with or without notice to the employee. This Job Description does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, and employment with the Company remains at will. These responsibilities are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
   
   
   This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to The ServiceMaster Company, LLC.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right sales/account representative for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with sales/account representatives they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit sales/account representatives who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sales/account representative job on Zippia to find and attract quality sales/account representative candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with sales/account representative candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sales/account representative

   Once you've decided on a perfect sales/account representative candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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